The Healer and the Thief
by Skye Cloudgate
Summary: Prince John has passed a law in his brother's land, banning the use of all magic. But this would mean the death of many local healers, including one who the Prince has taken an interest in, Josephine. Josephine is a couragous young girl, but will this be enough to persuade the Prince of Thieves to aid her in righting this wrong?
1. Chapter 1

The Healer and the Thief

Part 1: Nottingham

The small picturesque town of Nottingham was uneasily quiet, as it rested near the trees of Sherwood Forest. Smoke billowed up toward the blue skies, from small cooking fires in the various homes, as the daily lives of the peasants continued for another day. But for one woman in particular, this was no normal day. This would be the last day she saw her home, the last day she could call herself 'free'.

The woman's name was Josephine. She was the town's healer. A nurse for the sick and weary, she used medicinal herbs to aide her patients. Today her clinic was unusually busy, with people complaining of headaches and sore muscles. She responded with the right herbs for the pain, and a bit of good advice. "And try to rest for a while." She would add, as the patient left to return to their home.

Later in the day, around dusk a man rushed in, frantic and bearing an expression of great concern. Upon seeing the healer, he quickly approached her. "Josephine! The sheriff, he's on his way here." He warned, in a rushed tone of voice. "He said he'd arrest you, and any who tried to help you!" The man's eyes were wide, as he told her the news.

Josephine looked into the man's eyes. He was telling the truth! She then looked to her many more patients. "My friends, return to your homes!" She announced. "I will see you all, tomorrow." With that she thanked the man for warning her, and left out of the front door – but it was too late!

The sheriff, as the man had warned, had come to the clinic, accompanied by several soldiers, some bearing lit torches. The burly, arrogant man sneered, and gave a crooked yellow smile. "Josephine Anna Jameson." He addressed the woman.

"Aye." She raised a narrow eyebrow, as she replied. "Can I help you?"

"You are under arrest, by decree of Prince John, for the use of witchcraft." He announced, reading from a scroll, which he then quickly rolled back up, afterward, facing her, as his smile dropped into a serious expression, almost a glare. "Please come quietly, or we'll use force."

She looked toward the soldiers, a few of whom she had helped with her 'witchcraft'. She then faced the sheriff, with her dark grey irises. "What proof do you have of witchcraft, sir?" She asked, looking him in the eyes.

"Proof?" He retorted. "Look around you! People come here, sick and almost dying, and come back, fit to work the next day." He observed. "That ain't right." He concluded, locking eye contact with the woman.

"And what's not right about it, sheriff?" She questioned, still keeping her place, arms crossed, on the wooden front steps of her clinic.

At this the sheriff became enraged, as he handed a torch to the soldier standing next to him. "Burn it!" He commanded.

As the soldier moved to carry out his order, Josephine moved to block him. "No!" She knocked the torch from his hand, landing it in the mud, as it was immediately extinguished.

"You dare keep a man from his orders?" The sheriff sneered, again showing his tobacco-stained teeth. "Arrest that woman!" On these words, several of the soldiers closed in to take her into custody, to the protest of several men and women.

"Free her! She has done nothing wrong! She has cured us! Free her!" The peasants shouted and yelled at the men, as Josephine walked behind them, in shackles. She forced a smile, as she faced the peasants. "Do not worry, friends. I'm sure this is merely a misunderstanding." She assured them, as the soldiers escorted her, all the way to the castle.

The castle was immense, being the home of the royal family, and so the way to the king's throne room was relatively long, especially for the healer, as she was still chained. Her expression was one of determination, as she tuned out the myriad of insults spat at her by the sheriff and the soldiers. Once they finally arrived in the throne room, they were greeted by the sight of Prince John, sitting on the throne of his brother, King Richard. The prince smiled, as he commanded. "Bring the prisoner forward."

"Aye sir." Replied the sheriff, as he motioned for the soldiers to present the Prince with the healer. She was walked toward the throne, and as she refused to bow to him, she was roughly and violently shoved to his feet, with a soft grunt of pain.

"Does the prisoner know what she is here for?" Prince John asked, watching the woman.

Josephine was silent, as the sheriff replied. "Aye sir, witchcraft."

Prince John smirked. "Yes, witchcraft."

At this, Josephine raised an eyebrow, now a bit confused. She finally spoke. "Are you to tell me that I am here because I use plants at my clinic?" She was immediately struck down by the sheriff's heavy hand. "You will speak when spoken to, wench."

"Now, now Sheriff no need to be harsh with the girl." Prince John protested, sarcastically. "And to answer your question, girl, you are here because you have broken the law of King Richard."

"And what law might that be, O Prince?" Josephine returned, glaring toward the corrupt leader.

"The use of witchcraft and sorcery is strictly forbidden, by King Richard. And you have been found guilty of such." He concluded. "Now, your sentence is to spend three nights at the stocks, and afterward be hanged from the neck, until dead." He paused for a moment. "That is, unless you'd like to do me a favor." He continued, smiling in a most perverse way.

Josephine cringed slightly, before giving her reply. "I'd rather die." She said, quite truthfully.

The Prince scowled. "Well, that can certainly be arranged." He looked from the prisoner to the soldiers. "Guards, take the prisoner to the stocks, and make sure she doesn't escape. I have plans for Miss Josephine Jameson."

With the 'trial' over, Josephine was then escorted to the center of the little town, and released from her shackles, only to be imprisoned in the wooden stocks, to be mocked by the sheriff and his posse. During all of this, Josephine did not waiver. Instead she prayed that God would forgive them, and that somehow she would get out of this. "King Richard, where are you?" She whispered, as they secured the iron lock. She was silent, as all but one soldier left her to stand in the bent-over position forced on her body by the contrapment.

As the moon rose in the night sky, the soldier who had been keeping guard over Josephine began to grow weary. Soon after he began to yawn, another guard arrived, bearing a spear. "I've been sent to relieve you. Get some rest, friend." The first guard nodded, before leaving the post in the care of his replacement. "A little early, but alright." He shrugged, as he picked up his spear, and left.

After he was sure the soldier had indeed left, the second soldier smiled softly. "Idiot." He then turned to Josephine, who was still quite awake, unable to doze off, in her current position. "Are you awake?" He whispered, hoping not to draw the attention of anyone who may be watching. She tilted her head a bit, doing her best to face him. "What do you want?" She demanded.

"To help you." He replied, holding up a set of small iron keys. "I know you're not guilty, and what the sheriff and Prince John are doing is wrong, if not blasphemous." He continued. "I know you can escape from them." He assured her.

"How?" She asked, now interested.

"By going into the forest." He concluded. "If you enter Sherwood Forest, they're sure to loose your trail." He explained. "The last of the sheriff's dogs died, a few weeks ago. Without them, you're sure to escape."

"But escape to what?" She returned. "This is my home." She concluded. "The only place I've ever known."

"Would you rather stay here, and be hanged?" He asked, holding the key to her freedom.

She was silent, as she thought for a moment. "Do I really have a choice?" She returned, facing him.

"No, not really." He concluded, as he unlocked the stocks, releasing the healer. She immediately stood up, stretching, before turning to her savior. "Thank you. I owe you my life."

"Go! Before someone sees." He urged, still whispering. And with that, she ran to the clinic, hurriedly packing a small sack with the essentials, before heading out of the small town of Nottingham, and into the dense trees of Sherwood Forest.

So ends the first chapter of my second fanfic. Please comment, and rate.


	2. Part 2: Sherwood Forest

Part Two of my Robin Hood fanfic. I know it's been quite a while, since I last updated this, but here you go.

Part 2: Sherwood Forest

As Josephine made her way through the thick brush and trees of the forest, she soon discovered she had been traveling in circles, and was lost. She sighed deeply, with this discovery, as she leaned against a rather wide tree trunk. She sank to the ground, gathering her skirts to herself, as she looked around the treetops. The light of the sun was streaming through the canopy formed by the trees and plants growing into one another. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the heat of the sun on the fair skin of her face.

Suddenly, she heard a twig snap, somewhere close by. She gasped softly. Had the guard reported her? No. Her escape would mean he either helped her, or worse…. left his post. He'd be killed either way. So why did he help her? She may never know, she concluded. But now was the matter of who was there with her now? "Who's there?!" She finally called out. As she spoke, she then saw the figure of a man, garbed in a plain robe of earthy brown. '_A friar?_' She thought to herself, while watching the man. She rose from her place against the tree, and spoke again. "Hello?" She wondered if he could hear her.

The friar turned to her, just now noticing her. "Oh hello, what brings you here, lass?" He inquired, approaching her cautiously. It was clear he meant her no harm, but she was still untrusting. "You seem lost, child." He observed.

Her expression fell. "I am." She replied, grimacing. "I've been traveling in circles for hours, it seems." She admitted. "But what about you? You don't seem to belong here either, Friar." She continued, judging by the robe he was dressed in.

"Tuck. Friar Tuck." He introduced himself, smiling as he bowed to her.

"Josephine." She replied, approaching him, returning his smile.

"Might I ask what brought you to the forest, Josephine?" the Friar asked, seeing she was dressed as if she were from Nottingham.

She sighed softly, her grey eyes reflecting fatigue. "It's a long story…"

"Shall we walk and talk?" He offered, motioning to the forest around them.

She looked into his eyes, full of kindness and wisdom. "Alright." She agreed, nodding as she began to walk beside him. "Where should I begin?"

"From the beginning, I presume." He chuckled.

"Well, first off I work in Nottingham as a healer. A doctor. I'm usually busy with patients, who I treat from a small clinic of sorts." She explained, as they continued deeper into the Sherwood Forest. "But yesterday, around dusk, the sheriff came to my door, in the company of about a dozen of the king's soldiers, accusing me of witchcraft!"

"Oh my, that is a strong accusation." He replied, listening to her tale.

"I asked him if he had any proof, and he told me the way I treat my patients doesn't seem right, and so he ordered one of the soldiers to burn down my clinic, with people still inside!" She paused for a moment.

"By God, he's lost it!" Exclaimed Friar Tuck, an expression of great concern covering his face.

She nodded, before continuing with the story. "I immediately knocked the torch out of his hands, only to be accused of keeping a soldier from following orders, and so I was arrested, and brought before Prince John, who had me, locked in the stocks, supposedly for three days, to be hanged afterward. But last night, as I sat in the stocks, a soldier came to relieve the one who was left to be sure I didn't escape, and after making sure we were indeed alone, he unlocked the stocks, and released me, saying that what Prince Henry is doing is wrong 'if not blasphemous', and told me to flee into these woods, in order to evade the sheriff." She paused, finished with her story. "And here I am." She concluded.

The Friar listened to the woman, deeply worried about her and the rest of the town of Nottingham. If Prince John kept this up, there would be no Nottingham to speak of! "We need the return of King Richard." He declared. "Things were never this bad, when he was on the throne."

Josephine nodded in agreement, as they approached a small clearing. A campsite, bearing a still-smoking, although extinguished fire pit. She looked around. There seemed to be no one around, beside the two of them. "A gypsy settlement?" She asked, turning to the Friar.

"No madam. This is my home." He replied, before calling out in a shout. "Oi! It be me, Friar Tuck, and a run-away maiden." He announced. Soon the trees were alive with rustling, as a few men emerged from the limbs, sheathing their weapons.

"Tuck, that's a good way to get a arrow in yer chest!" Said a rather large, bear of a man. "Name's Little John." He introduced himself to Josephine, holding out his hand for hers.

"Josephine." She replied, smiling as she took his hand.

"That's a pretty name, Josephine." He remarked, shaking her hand, and most of her slender, seemingly fragile body. "What's a pretty woman like you, doin' in the forest?"

"- -A story for a later time, friend." Friar Tuck interjected, before Josephine had to re-tell her tale.

John shrugged his masculine shoulders, before walking toward the extinguished fire, attempting to re-kindle the flames. "Robin should be back soon." He continued. "Said he was goin' huntin.'"

The Friar chuckled. "Indeed, but is he hunting a meal, or a certain maiden of Nottingham?" He grinned.

Josephine quirked an eyebrow, in slight confusion, but decided to ignore the inside joke on their friend, Robin. Wait, could that Robin be Robin Hood, the Prince of thieves? Perhaps she should stay around these men for a while, and find out, she thought to herself.


End file.
